Natural health: Help with Chilblains

My father has recently read that cinnamon can help with his diabetes. He has type 2 diabetes. Can he use regular cinnamon, or is there a specific medicinal kind that he should buy?

The good news is that regular cinnamon is just fine, with both true cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum), and cassia (Cinnamomum cassia) helping to regulate insulin signals. Cloves have also been investigated and found to have similar effects, reducing the insulin-sensitising effects of liver and abdominal fat cells.

It is worth noting that cinnamon is effective in treating non-insulin dependent type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes accounts for around 90-95% of cases, and occurs when the body is unable to use the insulin made by the pancreas. Most type 2 diabetics have this condition as a result of diet and lifestyle, however around 8% are linked to a genetic predisposition. Taking 1-6g cinnamon daily (from a quarter of a teaspoon to as much as one and a half teaspoons) is enough to help with blood sugar regulation. It works by improving the metabolism of glucose, plus has the added benefit of preventing high blood pressure and heart disease.